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Is earlier obesity associated with poorer executive functioning later in childhood? Findings from the Millennium

Hanna-Marie Creese1,2, Steven Hope1, Deborah Christie3

  • 1Population, Policy and Practice Programme, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, UK.

Pediatric Obesity
|March 17, 2021
PubMed

Insights

This study found little evidence that childhood obesity impacts spatial working memory, which may affect educational achievement. Further research is needed to understand the link between obesity and cognitive function in children.

Area of Science:

  • Child psychology
  • Developmental neuroscience
  • Public health

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is linked to lower educational achievement.
  • Executive function deficits may mediate this association.
  • Existing evidence is limited by small sample sizes and cross-sectional designs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the longitudinal association between weight status and executive function in mid-childhood.
  • To account for potential common causes influencing both weight and executive function.
  • To clarify the role of executive function in the relationship between childhood obesity and academic performance.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal analysis of 7739 children from the Millennium Cohort Study.
  • Examined weight status at ages 5-7 years and executive function at 11 years.
  • Assessed executive function (decision-making, impulsivity, spatial working memory) using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery, adjusting for numerous covariates.

Main Results:

  • No unadjusted associations were found between weight status and decision-making or impulsivity.
  • After adjusting for potential common causes, no consistent evidence supported an association between persistent childhood obesity (5-7 years) and spatial working memory at 11 years.

Conclusions:

  • Little evidence suggests poorer spatial working memory mediates the association between childhood obesity and lower educational achievement.
  • The link between childhood obesity and academic outcomes may not be explained by deficits in spatial working memory.
  • Further research is warranted to explore other potential mechanisms linking childhood obesity and educational achievement.
Abstract

Keywords:
childhoodexecutivefunctionobesityoverweight

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